I'm trying to help a small business client set up Microsoft Office, which used to be a straightforward purchase, but now everything is subscription-based with 365. I thought about going through a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP), but they've told me I need a Microsoft Partner account. When I tried to sign in with my Microsoft account, I kept running into vague error messages. It seems I need my own 365 subscription to even apply as a partner. After getting that, I still hit a wall during the partner application that ended with a cryptic error message about trust and a support link that wasn't helpful. I even tried contacting support, but they had issues reaching me by phone. Now I'm stuck wondering how I'm supposed to buy or manage a Microsoft 365 account as a small business. Does Microsoft not care about smaller clients or what should I be doing?
3 Answers
You might want to consider helping your client set up a new tenant directly, but you can talk to their payroll or finance department about managing the subscription. You don't need to have a license as an admin; just ensure that at least one person in the tenant is licensed. It could be simpler if you're recognized as an external admin. This way, your client handles payments, and you just offer them your support as needed.
Just a heads up, to qualify as a partner now, you need to have a minimum transaction of $1,000 a year. It's a bit tough for small businesses.
If your client already has Office 365, just log into their account with an admin profile and add the necessary subscription. If they need more licenses, you can adjust the quantity on their existing plan. Just remember, purchasing on behalf of another party usually requires you to be a Microsoft Partner, and that involves quite a few criteria.
Oh, I see. Well, they're starting fresh, so they haven't set anything up yet.
Yeah, that sounds like a good approach. I just want to make it as professional as possible and not just use their credit card for everything.